Off to the Ecrins for the last 2 wks of August, for some walking, via ferrata and hopefully one or two high-level routes. First time in the Alps proper for our 2 boys - 13 & 15 and good strong walkers - after a great Dolomites trip last year.
Advice from friends so far has suggested Vallouise will offer plenty for us, and I know we'll have a great time wherever we go, but I'd be grateful for any comments and experiences....
If Vallouise may be perhaps very busy at end of August, any suggestions for alternative bases offering a good range of activities? We will have a car, and be camping.
Any unmissable routes, either low-level or high-level? The guide books are helpful, but difficult to choose from all the routes!
Any good campsites to be based?
Doing another thread on possible high-level routes and local guides...
You could also base at La Berarde. Good municipal campsite, also a big CAF gite d'etape. Lots of high stuff accessible on foot from the campsite, plus more from st Christophe en Oisans and Venosc down the valley (access by car). There are 7 Via Ferrata in the valley and bound to be guides at La Berarde (sorry, not done any VF or used any guides so cant recommend)
Food in La Berarde is expensive so fill up in Bourg d'Oisans at the supermarkets.
La Berarde campsite 0033 4 76 79 20 45 St Christophe en Oisans 1st site 0033 4 76 80 23 99 St Christophe en Oisans 2nd site 0033 4 76 80 19 19
Some accounts of walks here (scroll down to Sept 2th - Sept 7th), though you will probably look for harder stuff.
Ah – and of course La Chapelle en Valgaudemar, a long valley into the West of the Ecrins, which gives you access to the Olan and the peaks at the end of the valley: Rouies, Gioberney, Les Bans, Bonvoison etc.
Magnificent walks all around, though less than at La Berarde unless you pop over to the neighbouring valleys as well – Valjouffrey via the Col de Vaurze, and (difficult I’m told) return by the Col Turbat. And the Drac valley via Ref. Vallonpierre, down to the road, Ref. Pre de la Chaumette then back via Vallonpierre and Ref Chabourneou.
4 campings here - Kev Reynolds 'The Ecrins National Park' (Cicerone) gives a good selection of walks.
If you haven't left already, then I would say La Chappelle is great. There are three campsites (best next to the municipal site - smallest, lots of shade and sites on the river), it is a pretty village and there is a really well stocked food store and severql outlets that sell vegetables. In addition, it is well located for lots of walks: refuge des Souffles and Pic Turbal loop; south to three lakes taking in Pic Peterel maybe; SE to col de Vallonpierre; Col de la Vaurze and up to Souffle peak.
Col de la Vaurze isn't difficult. Muzelle is harder work and could be interesting after rain. I was just in La Chappelle and Vallouise, and Vallouise was a lot busier. There were a lot of visitors/tourists. La Chappelle was a lot friendlier.
We're off tomorrow night, and think we'll perhaps spend a week in Vallouise and a week in La Chapelle. Got some good walks lined up basedon your advice and the guide books, but obviously play it by ear when we get there!
I'd like to use this thread to ask a question on walking / scrambling guide books for the Ecrins Park. The German (I live in Germany) literature on the Ecrins is rather basic, therefore I had look at the book by Kev Reynolds. Problem here: Its organized around multiday trips, whereas we'll be doing mostly day outings with bases in the Vénéon and Champsaur valleys. I then found 2 French guide books (one of which is to a large part included on google books: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Egf0hG-m-qcC)
1. Labande, François, Randonnée pédestre dans le Parc National des Ecrins: amazon.fr link
2. Roux / Buffett, Ecrins: Massif, Parc National...: amazon.fr link
Question: Does anybody (Judy seems quite an expert ) have any experience with these guides? Which seems more suitable for general walking / schrambling? Which tour descriptions are more reliable?
The Labande book (1) is published under the aegis of the Parc National des Ecrins and is the best book I have found for hard treks in the Ecrins. The walks range from a good easy day out to exposed stuff where a rope is advisable and a fall is not ... minutely described and very few mistakes. A good number are in interesting out of the way places too. I've walked around 80 of his routes and it's my bible. A few of his assessments of danger don't fit my view (either easier or harder) but that's just me. No pictures, but detailed hand-drawn maps for each route.The books a bit big & heavy to carry around. Mine's been cut up so I can carry around just the pages I want.
Roux and Buffett (2) are local people who clearly know the ground well. This title is part of a 'Grand Air Guide' series which covers a good number of the Fr. national parks. I have the Queyras title which feels targeted at everyday walkers: mainstream routes, nothing out of the way. Nice if unexceptional. From memory, no scrambles & nice pics. Guidebook-sized; manageable.
If you like hands-on, try and find a copy of Pierre Maes '50 sommets sans corde, Hautes Alpes', which is like the Arthur Battagel series for the Pyrenees - scrambling through to PD grade. The ones I've done I found quite demanding, but then I'm not a climber. This covers a wider area than the Ecrins; into the Queyras and nearby areas. It also goes (IIRC) higher than the Labande book.
All titles are in French.
Thanks for the comment by the way - I live out there whenever I have enough saved
thanks, that's a perfect answer: quick and informative! Judging by your comments I'll order the Labande book for preparing various outings. If that (plus a few internet resources) are not enough, I'll have a look at Roux/Buffett and/or the Pierre Maes book when in France.
I hope you won't mind me asking a few specific questions about tours if they come up...
Am back from the Ecrins NP. Thanks again for the advice, Judy, it helped us have a wonderful time! The Labande book is quite impressive. I managed 10 of his tours, which leaves another 110 for the future... The descriptions were very informative, although I also have some doubts about some of his difficulty ratings - e.g. his route down from the Refuge de Soreiller (we did the tour the "wrong" way around; I doubt my girlfriend would have appreciated "walking" down the more difficult route.).
People and accomodations were great; weather was perfect except for one half day of rain; the French holiday season was basically over, so we were on our own for much of the time. For all those interested in a wide range of alpine hikes and scrambles, but who appreciate contact to the flatter world, I can especially recommend the upper Champsaur Valley!
) have any experience with these guides? Which seems more suitable for general walking / schrambling? Which tour descriptions are more reliable? 
